In recent years, payment account information has become a significant target for identity thieves and other fraudulent parties. Fraudulent parties that gain access to payment account information may conduct testing transactions—seemingly inconspicuous transactions used to validate the payment account information. For example, an identity thief may steal credit card information. The identity thief may then use the credit card information to pay for a testing transaction of a small amount such as a $2 download of a song. If the transaction succeeds, the identity thief has confirmed that the stolen credit card account information is valid. The thief may then use the credit card information to conduct higher-value transactions (e.g., a $400 transaction at a jeweler), or sell the account information with an assurance to the buyer that the account is valid.
Embodiments of the present invention address these problems and other problems individually and collectively.